Sendouk al-amanat - Safe
by Mini Goat
Summary: What starts out as a fun post game celebration for Sammy and Jon turns into a confrontation with a dishonorable foe. Some unlikely heros emerge in their defense.


_AN: Lots of local references. Pretty sure Sandy's was showcased on Diners Drive-ins and Dives too. Peak to Peak doesn't have a hockey team but it might be the kind of school that would attract the kind of insufferable shady win at all costs dynamic to attract a kid like Conner. The Connor in my head called Zulfie a racial slur for middle eastern people I'm sure you are familiar with that was quite popular in the early to mid 2000's. I think that would have set poor Jon off though. He's in no shape for that. This story is set about a month after the events of __**Ajez.**_

**Sendouk al-amanat - Safe**

Sandy's was just south of Peterson which made it around the corner from school for the students of Mountain Springs High and a popular after game and weekend hang out for the kids when they wanted to get together as a group. The food was plentiful and inexpensive. A combination that appealed to enlisted and students alike. You could tell what time of day it was based on the ratio of bicycles or late model cars.

Currently one of the long white tables was taken up by a revolving selection of high school kids in letter jackets sprinkled with it's share of skaters and a few drama geeks. One of those kids in a letter jacket had sandy hair and was still moving gingerly after requiring surgery due to a hockey injury a month ago. A younger girl who was tall for her age hovered near him, not quite fussing but not letting him do anything that would stress his injury either. A lanky dark haired boy in a cowboy hat hovered in a similar way. Most of the rest of the students tolerated this as normal. Four months into the school year the pattern was set. Jon had friends in his hockey team mates but if you asked who his best friends were everyone who knew him would say a junior named Jason and a Freshman named Sammy. If you asked about his team mates Brian and Zulfie would have topped the list but Mark, Kevin and Chuck would have been on the list too. Currently all of them, a few of their girlfriends and some other students congregated over baskets of fries and milkshakes.

Jon said something and Sammy laughed and gave him a noogie. He tolerated it good naturedly. They had won the match even with Jon sidelined. Slowly through the excited babble of happy students subsided into a slow uneasy silence until all eyes were on the boys who entered the restaurant in blue and white letter jackets. Jon's jaw set. Jason bristled next to him. The tall boy had sat with Jon during his recuperation almost as much as Sammy had.

The group of four boys spotted the blue and gold jackets and strolled over, snide smirks on their faces, the leader a smug grin twisting into a sneer. "Well well, if it isn't bob and kneel and his good buddies cowboy twinkie and imaginary girlfriend."

"Conner" Jon said in disinterest. "Did they close the slop and trough by your house." He eased back, trying not to let on his injuries were still tender.

"Why don't you come outside and discuss it." Conner smirked.

"Nah. I don't like snakes." Sam snorted next to him.

"You got something to say Blondie?"

"Nothing you would even remotely begin to understand Conner." She said in a sweet voice.

Oh crap I hate that voice Jon thought. It's a good thing she's not armed.

"I already got a girlfriend but I could use a back up bitch for rainy days." Conner told Sammy with a smarmy and disgusting grin.

"Your dog doesn't count Conner." Zulfie said quietly.

"What did you say shrimp?"

"I said you're ugly and only your dog would have sex with you but only for the peanut butter since you couldn't satisfy a teacup poodle." Zlufie told the larger boy as he casually took a sip of his milkshake.

"Buncha losers. Next time I see you on the ice I'm gonna take you out permanently bob and kneel. Then I'm gonna bend your cute blond little girl there over and-"

Whatever he was going to say was ended by Jason's right hook. Conner went down like a sack of bricks but Conner's buddies now had Jason's arms locked and one was punching him in the stomach.

Jon's team joined the fray and dragged the three boys off Jason and held them. Zulfie in spite of his less than impressive height had the largest of them in an arm lock. Brian had a cautionary foot on Conner's shoulder, a warning to stay down.

The restaurant manager stomped over. "What on earth is going on here?!" she demanded.

"I'm very sorry ma'am." Brian told her soothingly. "These guys recently put one of my team mates in the hospital and decided to come here to threaten him and his girlfriend for no good reason."

"What kind of threats?"

"Uh, ma'am, they threatened to permanently injure my buddy here and uh…" Brian blanched. "I think he threatened to... to…" Brian trailed off unable to say it.

"He said he was going to rape me ma'am." Sammy supplied, her eyes narrowed.

"Yah what she said." Brian's eyes went wide that Sammy could just come out and say it. Sammy reached over and squeezed Brian's arm.

"Yah I've heard enough. Ted!"

A large, heavily scared man in a biker jacket got up from the next table over. "Vic. What can I do for you gorgeous?"

"Escort the trash here out and impress upon them that they are not welcome here again. Under any circumstances. Kids," she turned and addressed the group huddled together protectively around Jon Sammy and Jason. "How would you guys like dinner on the house?"

There was a loud whoop of cheers from the Mountain Springs kids. "That's what I thought." She drawled as she watched Ted drag Conner outside by the collar of his jacket. "I'll have Cecee take your orders. Pick what you want kids." She waived over the dark haired waitress who grinned ear to ear. "Nice moves Jedi master" she told Zulfie who beamed. "You too sloe eyes." She told Jason. "Now, what can I get you all?"

The kids put in their orders and Sammy noted Jon's subdued demeanor. "What's wrong?" she asked him softly.

"I couldn't protect you." He told her softly, his heart pinching in his chest.

"Hey. Look at me." She tilted his chin towards her. She read the pain and worry in his eyes. "Everyone was there for us. Just like always." Her eyes drove home that the team might change but the rules were the same. They watched out for each other always.

"Always huh?" and he gave her a conspiratorial smile.

"You betcha." She grinned back with the smile she saved just for him.

Zulfie nudged Brian under the table and tilted his head at Jon and Sammy. Brian winked.

"Sooo…" Jason said as he finally sat back down, interrupting Jon and Sammy's tender moment. "What are we doing for pipsqueek's birthday?"

"When is this?" Zulfie asked softly.

"Well… a little bird told me it's the Wednesday after Christmas." Jason told them.

"Jon…" her voice was gritty.

He threw his hands up in defense. "It wasn't me I swear!"

It hadn't been Jon. Jason smirked. The office lady had told him on accident when he'd been asking about something else.

"We'll be on holiday break. We should make an event of it. You only turn thirteen once."

"Guys this is very sweet but you really don't need to plan a party for me." She tried to protest. She frowned. Jon's finger on her leg tapped ... .- - -..- / .-.. . - / - ... . – (Sam, let them) she looked at him uncertainly. "trust me" he mouthed. She sighed and shrugged. "Ok but I need to talk to Aunt Mary first. I can't just invite you all over to her house without asking first. Especially you Jedi Master Z." she said giggling. That name was going to stick if she had any say about it.

"Fair enough." Jon told her out loud. He had an idea what the guys were doing here and while she could have begged off and just had a nice diner with her fosters, having a real party with friends would do her more good. She was taking her responsibility for him while he was injured too seriously. He was still living in the Amos guest room while he recovered. Wilson had taken Sammy over to retrieve some cloths and things for him and cleaned out his fridge. He'd had a staring match with the older man about the beer. Jon had insisted it was Jack's which technically was true as long as you didn't ask why Jack was storing beer in a fridge that wasn't in his home. He didn't think Wilson bought it but Jon had been very firm about the fact that he did not offer the beer to others as it was specifically Jack's. That had mollified the older man marginally.

Jon knew realistically he'd probably be spending Christmas with Wilson's family even if he was well enough to go home which currently he was beginning to doubt which reminded him, he needed to find out from Mary what he should get Sammy for Christmas. Shopping for Sam was easy. He knew her like the back of his hand and could pick anything from perfume to silly gadgets that would amuse her. Sammy was another matter. How much of her emotionally being nearly thirteen effected her taste and interests. Her room was decorated in the way Mary had decided a thirteen year old girl might like and she'd done a good job. It was feminine without being childish. The dusty green and lavender roses were smattered with small yellow flowers on the bedspread and the walls were a lighter matching lavender. Sammy still didn't have a lot of personal things though so it was hard to tell what turned her head these days. He knew Sam had taken her shopping before she'd been fostered so she could pick out her own cloths. Sammy's taste was a little preppy but there was some grunge mixed in too. She was currently wearing a slouchy plaid hoodie over a Nirvana t-shirt.

"Why are you staring at me Jon?" she finally asked him.

"Huh?"

"Anyone home? Did you get hit in the head?" he had the oddest look on his face like he was trying to fathom the meaning of the universe.

"Oh. Sorry. Just thinking."

"What about?'

"Stuff."

"How very deep of you." She observed dryly.

He made a face at her. "very funny."

"Yes. I thought so." But before she could tease him further their orders came and the conversation about planning her party had long since swirled past them both. No one seemed to mind. Jon's friends gave them speculative looks but were polite enough not to tease too much yet. She knew that would likely change next month after her birthday. Right now they felt protective of her as a not yet a teen so technically still a kid. She saw the looks Brian and Jason gave each other when she and Jon got lost in their own world. They would have to play along at least a little bit with the match making to curb having another Daniel and Janet situation on their hands. All trying to hook Jack and Sam up had done for those two was create feelings between them instead and now Janet was gone. A missed opportunity.

Jon plowed into his country fried steak like a man on a mission while Sammy ate her lemon chicken thoughtfully. Jason was telling a story about some dumb thing his nut job father had done and Zulfie was taking a tally of who wanted an invitation to Sammy's party should the Amos' agree to holding one for her.

Looking back on her memories as Sam, Sammy knew subjectively that her parents had a good marriage but there was something fundamentally different about her fosters. Wilson was a very different man than Jacob had been. More like George mixed with a bit of Jack. Mary reminded her a lot of Catherine. Sammy adored them both. It was a bit like having a second chance at a family which she suspected had been Jack's motive for picking the family he had to foster her. It was what he wished she'd had she realized. And she knew Jack loved her father but he also knew how unhappy her father's behavior often had made her. Wilson was the polar opposite. He put his family first including her and even Jon. He hadn't thought twice about helping Sammy go get Jon some cloths nor had he been phased about the beer in his fridge. Arguably Wilson knew who they technically were but he still treated them like kids it was his responsibility to protect the same as Jack did. Her father most likely would have left them both in the wind to figure it out on their own which had made Sam a strong person but left her with a lot of emotional landmines Jack struggled to navigate those first few years. Sammy could just imagine all the really bad decisions she and Jon would be making without caring adults reminding them that regardless of anything else they were still physically and emotionally kids. Mary knew some of what was going on. She had figured out that Jon's story was a bunch of bull but accepted that Jon was on his own due to military stuff. She hadn't figured out Sammy's situation even after meeting Sam. Wilson had confided in her that he'd pointedly used Sam's rank not her name around his wife to stave off that conversation a bit longer. Wilson was just a little afraid of his wife which amused Sammy greatly as Jack was just a little afraid of Sam. She was beginning to suspect that was an important dynamic in a happy marriage.

Jon had sat back, his plate cleared while she'd picked at her dinner lost in thought. "Should I give you crap about over thinking?" he asked her teasingly.

"Huh? Oh. No I was just noticing how different my relationship is with Wilson over dad."

Jon thought for a moment. "You think uncle Jack did that intentionally." It was a statement not a question.

"You knew?"

"No." he admitted. "But I figured it out about five minuets into my conversation with him the first time I came over." Jon said with an amused smile.

"I accidently called him dad when you were in surgery." Sammy finally told him.

"To his face?"

"No, to Sam." She said with a frown.

"How did she take it?"

"I kind of changed the subject really quickly." She admitted. Jon laughed. "What's so funny?

"You."

"Why?"

"Everyone is afraid of Sam Carter… including Sammy…" he said snickering.

"I am NOT afraid of her."

"No?"

"It's just… I don't want her to be disappointed in me."

He looked at her with his deep brown eyes full of love and understanding. "She wouldn't ever be disappointed in you any more than I would or Jack would." He squeezed her hand. "Don't ever think she could be."

She gave him a watery smile and hugged him impulsively. "It's not fair that you always know exactly the right thing to say."

"I've had lots of previous practice saying the wrong thing." He told her, hugging her back hard and she started to laugh.

"You really have." She said shaking her head and continuing to laugh.

"Speaking of Sam how did she look?"

"Radiant!" Sammy told him gleefully.

"Really?"

"Oh yah. You know the cliché about women glowing? She's glowing."

"Hopefully not in a Daniel kind of way." He teased.

She chuckled "No thank god. That would be awful. Poor Jack. He'd lose his mind if she did that."

"Yes he would." Jon agreed fiercely and Sammy understood entirely how he'd feel as she'd have the same reaction herself.

"Guys, you can flirt in the car. I have a curfew remember." Jason butted into their conversation. He'd been driving Jon and Sammy around since Jon's injury prevented him from riding his bike like he normally would.

"Speaking of Daniel" Jon muttered under his breath. Sammy snorted. Jon gave her a wry smile.

"We're coming Jay." Sammy told him putting on her coat and helping Jon with his. "Leave a good tip for Cecee Jon."

"On it." He told her as he mentally calculated what they would have owed had they paid for the food then left a little extra besides incase anyone shorted her because the food had been free.

* * *

The ride home was short and quiet. Jason asked them if they were going to the Christmas dance together because if not a group of them were going or if Jon wanted to bow out that he'd take Sammy himself. Jon and Sammy admitted neither have thought about it. Mary had not let her go to the homecoming dance having not met Jon yet at the time and her being younger than all her classmates. She supposed she'd have to ask or see if she'd agree to a group date which might make her foster mom more comfortable. Jon had carefully treated Sammy like an old and loved friend while staying at their house while he recovered. She had asked why his aunt and uncle didn't host him instead and accepted Sammy pointing out that They just got married and had a baby on the way. Mary had then suggested that both of them consider getting married before having babies themselves which had made both Jon and Sammy blush furiously and Mary leaving the room to muffle her laughter.

Sammy helped Jon out of the car. "Thanks Jay! You picking us up for school tomorrow?"

"You paying for the gas pipsqueak?"

"Of course." She agreed.

"Then I'll drive you anywhere you want legs." He grinned and drove off.

"Legs?" Jon asked as he punched in the garage door code.

Sammy shrugged. "I've had worse nicknames." She admitted

"Such as?"

"Oh no. I'm not giving you that kind of ammunition."

"Come on. I'm going to find out anyway."

"You go right on thinking that." She moved in and pulled him carefully down for a quick kiss behind the cars. "Goodnight Jon." She purred at him, then went in the house, leaving him standing bewildered in the garage.


End file.
